1907 


V 


Illustrated 
Descriptive 
Catalogue  of 

Portable  Houses 


Manufactured  by  The 

National  Construction  Co., 

604  Morgan  Building,  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

U.  S.  A. 


i 


-1- 


Introductory 


THE  NATIONAL  Portable  and  Sectional  Houses  have  become  a  mod¬ 
ern  necessity,  not  only  to  the  pleasure  seeker,  but  they  are  eminently 
suited  for  all  purposes  where  a  light,  yet  strong  building,  artistic  in  ap¬ 
pearance  and  capable  of  resisting  all  sorts  and  conditions  of  weather,  is 
required  at  a  reasonable  price. 

As  permanent  dwellings  these  houses  are  comfortable  in  every  way  and  the 
interiors  are  really  artistic  and  have  that  homelike  appearance  which  is  frequently 
denied  buildings  of  a  more  elaborate  character.  They  can  be  erected  by  two  men 
in  a  few  hours,  skilled  labor  being  quite  unnecessary.  Cedar  poSts  answer  ad¬ 
mirably  for  a  foundation.  The  entire  building  can  be  removed  and  re-erected 
with  ease  as  often  as  required. 

For  Commercial  Purposes: — -Many  of  these  buildings  are  successfully  used 
year  after  year  as  Photo  Galleries,  Club  Houses,  Lunch  Rooms,  Bath  Houses, 
Real  Estate  Offices  and  for  purposes  of  a  similar  nature.  It  is  safe  to  assert  that 
no  Structure  can  give  greater  satisfaction  as  an  Auto  House,  Boat  House,  Stable, 
Workshop  or  Studio.  The  material  can  be  of  wood,  Steel  or  composite  con¬ 
struction,  according  to  the  wishes  of  the  purchaser.  For  temporary  Churches, 
Hospitals,  Schools,  Stores,  Voting  Precincts,  etc.,  the  NATIONAL  Structures 
are  unsurpassed. 

/ 

Houses  built  on  our  plan  consist  of  sections  that  are  keyed  into  each  other 
and  are  interchangeable.  When  erected  they  are  as  rigid  as  a  permanent  Struc¬ 
ture  and  will  give  better  results  than  any  house  erected  in  the  ordinary  manner; 
the  quality  of  the  material  and  workmanship  is  such  that  a  NATIONAL  house 
will  laSt  and  look  well  for  twenty-five  years. 

In  matter  of  coSt  the  NATIONAL  houses  will  be  far  less  than  that  charged 
by  local  contractors,  and  quality  of  material  considered,  our  prices  will  compare 
moSt  favorably  with  other  manufacturers.  We  desire  it  to  be  understood;  how- 
over,  that  our  ambition  is  not  to  sell  a  cheap  house,  but  to  give  our  customers  a* 
building  sound  in  every  respect  at  a  reasonable  price,  and  with  fifteen  years  ex¬ 
perience  in  portable  house  construction  behind  us,  the  prospective  purchaser  can 
reSt  assured  that  when  buying  a  structure  of  our  manufacture  he  is  neither  experi¬ 
menting  or  being  experimented  upon. 


-2 


Specifications 


SIDE  WALLS— These  are  constructed  in  various  materials  and  of  suitable 
height,  width  and  thickness.  All  lumber  is  dressed  and  given  one  coat  of  priming 
and  one  coat  of  best  lead  and  oil  paint  on  exterior  and  one  coat  of  best  linseed  oil 
on  interior. 

WINDOWS— All  sash  is  made  from  soft  pine,  air  and  kiln  dried.  The 
rabbets  are  oiled  and  great  care  is  used  in  glazing.  The  windows  can  be  either 
check  rail  or  casement  as  may  be  beit  adapted  for  purpose. 

DOORS — These  are  made  from  finest  Southern  pine  and  are  6  ft.,  4  in. 
high  by  2  ft.,  6  in.  wide  and  1  3/8  in.  thick.  Customers  may  have  either  four- 
panel,  five-panel  or  glazed  door.  Auto  Houses,  Churches,  Workshops,  etc.,  have 
doors  of  special  size  and  construction. 

ROOF — With  our  system  various  materials  may  be  used,  including  wood 
shingles,  waterproof  canvas  duck,  asbestos,  steel  shingles,  sheet  steel,  tin,  etc.  Un¬ 
less  otherwise  ordered  we  use  a  special  grade  of  waterproof  canvas  duck  that  is 
quite  durable  and  looks  well. 

FLOOR— This  is  built  in  sections  from  Southern  pine  7/8  inch  thick  and 
free  from  knots  or  shakes.  It  is  cut  narrow,  surfaced,  tongued  and  grooved,  and 
laid  on  joists  of  suitable  thickness. 

PARTITIONS — In  every  case  extend  from  the  floor  to  the  roof,  thus  mak¬ 
ing  a  solid  truss  or  support.  They  are  constructed  in  two  parts,  the  lower  can  be 
removed  at  any  time,  if  required. 

FINISH — All  houses  are  sent  out  complete  in  every  detail,  and  ready  for 
mmediate  use.  Skilled  labor  is  not  required  to  erect  and  all  that  is  necessary  is  to 
set  the  house  on  posts,  natural  stone,  cement  block,  wooden  sill  or  brick.  The  ex- 
erior  is  given  one  coat  of  priming  and  one  coat  of  best  lead  and  oil  paint  previous 
to  shipment. 

—  3  — 


Style  No.  201  Size  9  ft.  x  9  ft. 

Example  of  Auto-House 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
Auto-House  can  also  be  built  in  Steel,  (Imitation  Pressed  Brick  or 
Stone),  or  of  Fireproof  Composite  Construction. 


Auto-Houses 

OUR  style  of  construction  is  especially  well  suited  for  small 
or  medium  sized  garages.  Practically  any  size  house 
can  be  built  and  the  doors  can  be  glazed  or  solid,  as  re¬ 
quired.  The  side  walls  may  have  one,  two  or  more  win¬ 
dows,  according  to  size  of  house  and  location.  We  recommend, 
when  possible,  our  customers  to  have  a  cement  floor;  but  we  sup¬ 
ply  a  suitable  hardwood  floor  and  runway  when  desired.  On  the 
following  pages  are  contained  a  description  of  various  materials 
we  can  use  for  these  buildings.  Our  standard  designs  have  met 
with  general  approval,  but  we  shall  be  pleased  to  submit  plans  and 
estimate  with  special  sketch  for  an  auto-house  desired  to  conform 
to  the  architectural  detail  of  any  residence. 


—  4  — 


Matioiaal 


Style  No.  202  Size  9  ft.  x  12  ft. 

Example  of  Auto-House 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
Auto-House  can  also  be  built  in  Steel,  (Imitation  Pressed  Brick  or 
Stone),  or  of  Fireproof  Composite  Construction. 


Single  Wall  Construction 

THIS  is  the  simplest  form  of  building  we  construct;  the  sec¬ 
tions  are  light,  yet  very  strong,  and  are  built  of  standards 
with  eave  and  bottom  rail  properly  mortised  and  tenoned. 
The  standards  are  surfaced  on  four  sides  and  plowed  in 
center  to  receive  the  siding,  which  is  V-jointed,  tongued  and 
grooved  and  surfaced  on  two  sides.  The  roof  is  built  in  sections 
also;  we  recommend  for  this  our  waterproof  canvas  duck.  This  is 
thoroughly  painted  and  laid  over  patent  felt  on  to  the  roof  boards, 
which  are  tongued,  grooved  and  surfaced  on  the  inside.  The  floor 
is  of  7/8  inch  pine,  constructed  in  sections  and  laid  upon  joists  of 
suitable  thickness.  Windows  and  doors  can  be  placed  where  de¬ 
sired  or  may  be  as  shown  in  illustration. 

—  5  — 


National 


Style  No.  203  Size  9  ft.  x  15  ft. 

Example  of  Auto-House 


Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
Auto-House  can  also  be  built  in  Steel,  (Imitation  Pressed  Brick  or 
Stone) ,  or  of  Fireproof  Composite  Construction. 


Steel  Construction 

FOR  a  certain  class  of  buildings  it  is  quite  necessary  that 
they  should  be  absolutely  fireproof,  and  for  this  purpose 
we  recommend  our  Steel  Buildings.  These  can  be  in 
imitation  of  red  brick  or  concrete  or  with  rock  face  stone. 
It  is  surprising  what  an  artistic,  strong  and  durable  building  can 
be  made  from  sheet  steel,  and,  when  kept  painted  about  every 
two  years,  these  buildings  are  practically  indestructible.  By  our 
system  of  construction  they  can  be  erected  with  ease,  taken  down 
with  equally  good  results  and  removed  to  new  quarters.  The  in¬ 
terior  may  be  lined  with  steel  or  asbestos  as  desired,  and  the  roof 
constructed  of  sheet  steel  corrugated,  or  with  patent  metal  shingles. 
We  use  in  these  houses  a  special  grade  of  sheet  steel  fully  guaran¬ 
teed,  and  of  great  strength  and  durability. 


—  6  — 


Style  No.  204  Size  12  ft.  x  21  ft. 

Example  of  Auto-House 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  groooved.  This 
Auto-House  can  also  be  built  in  Steel,  (Imitation  Pressed  Brick  or 
Stone),  or  of  Fireproof  Composite  Construction. 


Composite  Construction 

THERE  has  for  long  time  been  a  demand  for  light  building  ma¬ 
terial,  which  will  resist  rot  and  rust,  be  weatherproof 
and  render  permanent  protection  under  all.  conditions. 
We  have  accomplished  this  in  our  Composite  Construction. 
The  exterior  of  the  building  consists  of  annealed  steel  sheets 
which  have  been  immersed  at  a  very  high  temperature  in  a  bath 
of  cement  compound  of  special  formula.  After  this  immersion 
the  sheet  of  steel  is  passed  through  rolls  removing  surplus  com¬ 
pound  and  rendering  the  coating  even  and  clear.  Pure  asbestos 
felt  is  then  applied  to  both  sides  under  great  pressure  and  each 
sheet  is  afterward  cooled  slowly  in  a  press  gradually  contracting 
and  hardening  until  its  different  component  parts — steel,  cement 
and  two  layers  of  asbestos  felt — are  united  into  a  practically  solid 
mass.  The  result  is  a  material  which  will  resist  fire,  water,  gas 
and  the  ravages  of  the  elements  for  an  indefinite  period. 

—  7  — 


Style  No.  10 


A  NATIONAI 


THE  above  is  an  example  of  one  of  our  three-roomed  cottages  des 
siding  and  the  interior  is  of  Southern  pine,  tongued,  grooved: 
roof  is  of  shingle  or  can  be  of  asbestos  or  patent  canvas  if  req 
to  contain  six  or  seven  rooms  if  required. 


IL  COTTAGE 


lesigned  with  a  view  of  permanent  occupation.  The  exterior  is  of  bevel 
i  and  matched.  It  can  also  be  lined  with  art  burlap  if  desired.  The 
equired  This  style  of  cottage  can  be  constructed  in  various  sizes  and 


Style  No.  400  Size  6  ft.  x  9  ft. 

Example  of  a  Child’s  Play  House 

(Can  also  be  used  as  a  Bath  or  Tool  House.) 


Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
house  can  also  be  built  in  Bevel  siding  with  colored  Burlap  inter¬ 
ior  if  required. 


Bath  or  Play  House 

f  i  ^HESE  houses  are  built  in  the  single  wall  construction  and 
are  adapted  for  either  purpose.  As  a  play  house  the 
walls  may  be  five  or  six  feet  in  height  while  the  bath 
house  will  require  seven  feet  walls.  We  can  fit  the  in¬ 
terior  with  seats  or  partion  if  required  and  for  seaside  purposes 
these  houses  cannot  be  equalled.  The  amount  of  real  enjoyment 
that  a  child  can  get  from  a  play  house  is  surprising  while  another 
great  advantage  is  that  they  are  out  of  harm’s  way  and  in  case  of 
bad  weather  arising  a  shelter  is  afforded  at  once.  A  number  of 
people  also  use  these  buildings  as  tool-houses  and  for  garden  pur¬ 
poses.  They  are  really  ornamental,  useful  and  quite  inexpensive. 
In  fact  they  will  repay  their  cost  in  a  very  short  time.  A  canvas 
roof  is  recommended. 


—10— 


N 


at 


Style  No.  402  Size  9  ft.  x  15  ft. 

Example  of  Office  or  Workshop 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
building  can  also  be  constructed  of  Bevel  siding  with  colored 
Burlap  interior,  panelled. 


Office  or  Workshop 

THERE  are  many  times  that  an  office  building  is  required 
on  short  notice.  The  one  illustrated  will  answer  admir¬ 
ably  for  this  purpose  and  it  can  be  built  any  size  desired. 
The  solid  sections  in  front  can  be  replaced  if  required  by 
window  sections,  thus  giving  more  light  and  we  can  fit  the  interior 
with  pigeon  holes  and  fitments  best  suited  to  the  purchaser’s  needs. 
For  real  estate  men  these  houses  meet  a  felt  need  while  the  general 
contractor  will  find  them  better  in  every  respect  to  the  home-made 
article,  As  a  workshop  where  one  can  do  the  odd  jobs  arising  from 
time  to  time  in  house  or  garden  they  will  be  found  invaluable. 


—11— 


National 


Style  No.  403  Size  9  ft.  x  15  ft. 

Example  of  Cottage 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding-,  tongued  and  grooved.  This 
house  can  also  built  in  Bevel  siding  with  colored  Burlap  interior  or 
of  Steel  or  Composite  Construction. 


A  Small  Cottage 

f1 1  ,HESE  little  buildings,  simple  in  design  and  construction, 
can  be  erected  anywhere  in  a  few  hours.  They  are  easily 
transported  by  road,  rail  or  sea,  and  quite  inexpensive, 
durable  and  weatherproof.  As  a  Summer  Cottage  we 
recommend  the  single  wall  construction,  this  being  the  lightest  form 
we  make.  The  interior  would  be  oil  finish  and  partitions  could  be 
put  in  as  desired.  In  many  cases  persons  simply  divide  into  apart¬ 
ments  by  using  curtains  and  this  has  many  advantages  over  the 
permanent  partition  when  it  is  desired  to  open  the  whole  room. 
We  can  supply  folding  beds  or  bunks  when  required,  and  such 
furniture  of  a  portable  character  as  would  be  necessary. 


-12 


National 


Style  No.  404  Size  12  ft.  x  21  ft. 

Example  of  Cottage 

Constructed  of  V-jointed  siding,  tongued  and  grooved,  This 
house  can  also  be  built  in  Bevel  siding  with  colored  Burlap  interior 
or  of  Steel  or  Composite  Construction. 


A  Summer  Cottage 


WE  here  show  a  cottage  of  a  more  pretentious  chara^EST, 
well  suited  for  a  summer  residence  or  camp.  The  design 
is  also  well  suited  for  homestead  or  mining  purposes  and 
in  this  case  we  build  of  a  material  calculated  to  stand 
the  heavy  strain  which  houses  of  this  kind  have.  For  all  the  year 
round  use,  double  walls  and  roof  are  recommended,  except  when 
required  for  a  tropical  country;  we  then  recommend  a  double  roof 
with  a  single  wall,  with  plenty  of  porch  room.  If  at  any  time  it 
is  desired  to  enlarge  the  building  this  can  readily  be  done  by  ad¬ 
ding  extra  sections.  A  porch  may  be  constructed  surrounding 
the  entire  building  or  three  sides  if  desired. 


-13- 


National 


Style  No.  405  Size  21  ft.  x  21  ft. 

Example  of  Cottage  Residence 

Constructed  of  bevel  siding  with  large  sections.  This  house 
can  also  be  built  in  V- jointed  siding  or  of  steel  in  imitation  of  pressed 
brick.  Small  sections  can  be  used  with  equally  good  results. 


L — *  A  Cottage  Residence 

WE  have  here  a  structure  that  at  once  conveys  the  idea  of  a 
cosy  little  home.  It  is  not  necessarily  a  house  to  be 
taken  down  every  year,  but  it  is  constructed  with  a  view 
of  it  being  a  permanent  residence  and  with  this  idea  it 
is  specially  insulated  and  therefore  calculated  to  be  a  warm  house 
in  winter  and  a  cool  one  in  summer.  It  can  be  built  in  either 
large  or  small  sections  in  practically  any  size  that  can  be  easily 
handled  and  it  will  be  equal  in  every  way  to  any  building  constructed 
by  a  local  contractor  at  a  great  saving  in  cost.  It  is  without  doubt 
the  best  house  on  the  market  today. 


-14- 


V 


Style  No.  406  Size  12  ft.  x  24  ft. 

Example  of  Cottage  Residence 


Constructed  of  Bevel  siding  with  large  sections.  This  house 
can  also  be  built  in  V- jointed  siding  or  of  Steel  in  Imitation  of 
Pressed  Brick.  Small  sections  can  be  used  with  equally  good 
results. 


A  Cottage  Residence  “■ 

THE  interior  of  these  cottages  are  not  only  insulated  but  they 
are  lined  with  a  special  burlap  colored  in  artistic  shades  and 
panelled.  Base  boards  are  supplied  and  picture  rails.  The 
interior  can  be  ceiled  if  required  using  either  metal  or  wood 
ceiling  material  or  the  roof  boards  can  be  stained  and  varnished 
with  open  rafters  thus  giving  a  Colonial  effect  or  burlap  to  harmon¬ 
ize  with  side  walls  may  be  used.  The  roofing  can  be  of  stained 
wood  shingles,  metal  shingles,  asbestos  or  canvas.  Suitable  fire¬ 
proof  openings  can  be  made  for  chimney  and  the  entire  building 
is  fitted  perfectly  in  every  respect. 


—15— 


A  Final  Word 


THE  NATIONAL  houses  are  built  to  satisfy  the  most  critical  person  and 
only  such  materials  are  permitted  to  enter  the  construction  of  the  various 
houses  as  shall  be  best  adapted  to  the  particular  use  for  which  the 
the  Structure  is  intended. 

In  every  case  the  customer  has  the  benefit  of  an  expert  opinion  and  we  are 
prepared  to  advise  on  matters  upon  which  a  person  may  be  doubtful.  In  this  way, 
those  desiring  a  Cottage  suitable  for  a  Summer  Camp  would  obtain  a  building 
altogether  different  from  one  that  would  be  beSt  suited  for  the  Yukon  Mines. 
In  appearance  both  would  be  similar  but  the  insulating  material  used  and  the  fin¬ 
ish  "wifuld  be  entirely  different.  This  is  perhaps  a  small  detail  but  it  is  of  the  great¬ 
est  importance  to  the  purchaser.  One  would  not  purchase  a  fur  coat  for  a 
summer  vacation  nor  a  du£t  coat  for  winter  use  and  in  the  matter  of  Portable  houses, 
to  have  an  efficient  building  it  is  necessary  to  put  in  such  materials  as  will  meet  the 
given  requirements. 

Again  our  sections  vary  in  height,  according  to  the  nature  of  the  building. 
A  portable  church  or  store  would  have  walls  ten  or  twelve  feet  high,  while  for 
a  summer  cottage  or  auto  house  walls  eight  feet  high  would  be  ample.  The  size 
of  studding  used  in  walls  and  the  floor  and  joists  and  rafters  will  also  vary;  experience 
and  common  sense  have  shown  that  ,to  have  a  uniform  size  for  every  kind  of 
building  is  simply  to  court  failure  and  with  a  Portable  house,  as  in  other  buildings, 
there  are  certain  laws  and  conditions  to  be  fulfilled,  otherwise  when  one  least  ex¬ 
pects  it  the  inevitable  happens. 

The  NATIONAL  houses  are  constructed  from  Wood,  Steel  and  Composite 
Metal,  each  of  these  materials  being  treated  in  this  catalogue  under  their  particu¬ 
lar  heading.  It  would  be  quite  impossible,  except  at  enormous  expense  to  illustrate 
every  form  of  building  that  we  construct,  hence  the  illustrations  contained  herein 
are  simply  examples  of  what  can  be  done  and  we  are  ready  to  submit  plans  and 
estimates  for  any  description  of  building.  All  of  our  houses  are  fully  guaranteed 
and  are  built  with  single  or  double  walls  with  roofing  material  best  suited  to 
customers  requirement. 


16— 


AVt^Y 

UBKAPY 


V" 


v 


